It All ADDs Up
by DC World
Summary: An essay based on my theory that Zack has Attention Deficit Disorder


**I have always noticed similarities between myself and Zack, which is why the majority of my fanfics are centered around him and I find that writing him comes fairly easy to me. Recently in the Character Analysis section of Lodylodylody's forum we were discussing the possibility of certain Disney characters ( mainly Cody) possessing symptoms of certain disorders. This conversation got the wheels in my mind turning. I have Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD for short. I also know that Dylan Sprouse has ADD and that Zack is semi-based on him. So, I thought, perhaps the reason I am so similar to Zack is because he too has this disorder. I decided to do a little bit of analyzing and the result is this essay. **

**The terms Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder are often interchanged despite several key differences between the two. But, seeing as this is a character analysis essay on Zack Martin and not a research paper on Attention Deficit, I decided to just used the common acronym ADD throughout. **

**The two books that I reference in this essay are **_**You Mean I'm No Lazy, Stupid of Crazy? : The Classic Self-Help Book for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder **_**by Kate Kelly and Peggy Ramundo and **_**AD/HD for Dummies**_** by Jeff Strong and Michael O. Flanagan, MD. Just to prove that I didn't make this crap up, whenever I talk directly about ADD in brackets I put a shorten version of the book tile followed by the page number where you can find information about the topic I just discussed. Also, mainly for my own benefit so I know when I made a reference, every time I mention an episode of SL I made the title bold. **

**Disclaimer: I am not a professional or an ADD expert. I just happen to be someone who has experienced this disorder first hand, has a huge academic interest in it and has a knack for picking ADD children out of a crowd. **

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**It All ADDs Up: A Character Analysis Essay of Zackary Martin **

**By Heidi J Coulter **

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"It's difficult to grow up with the hidden handicap of ADD. Many of us feel that we've spent our lives disappointing everyone - parents, siblings, teachers, friends and ourselves. When we were children, our teachers repeatedly told us we could do our work but chose not to. Our report cards were continual reminders that we weren't very bright. Those Cs, Ds and Fs didn't lie. They defined our self- perception as kids who were lazy. Sometimes we felt smart. We came up with wonderful inventions and imaginative play. We often amazed ourselves, our teachers and our parents with our wealth of knowledge and creative ideas.

We didn't want to cause trouble. We didn't start our days with a plan to drive everyone crazy. We didn't leave our rooms in total chaos to make our parents wring their hands in frustration. We didn't count the thumbtacks on the bulletin board because we enjoyed watching the veins pop out of our teacher's neck when he yelled at us to get to work. We didn't yawn and stretch and sprawl across our desktops, totally exhausted, just to make other kids laugh. We didn't beg for more toys, bigger bikes or better birthday parties because we wanted our moms and dads to feel terrible for depriving us of these things.

We did these things because we had ADD. But unfortunately, most of us didn't know that. Most of our parents, siblings, teachers and friends didn't know that either. So most of us grew up with negative feelings that developed around behaviours everyone misunderstood.

_Pay attention. _

_Stop fooling around. _

_If you would just try, you could do it. _

_You're lazy_

_Settle down. _

_You can do it when you want to. _

_Why are you acting this way?_

_You're to smart to get such terrible grades._

_Why do you always make things so hard for yourself?_

_Your room is always a mess. _

_You just have to buckle down. _

_Stop bothering other children. _

_Are you trying to drive me crazy?_

_Why can't you act like your brother/sister?_

_Why are you so irresponsible? _

_You aren't grateful for anything._

Have you ever heard any of these comments? Our bet is that your answer is a resounding " Yes!"

It's unlikely that anyone would tell a child in a wheelchair that he could get up and walk if he tried harder. His handicap is obvious and everyone understands his limitations. Unfortunately, not many people understand the hidden handicap of an ADD child.

For most of us the misunderstandings and faulty assumptions continued into our adolescent years. Since we were old enough to know better, our behaviours were tolerated even less. By the time we became adults, many of us were convinced that we indeed were- and still are- lazy, stupid or crazy." ( Lazy 11-13)

The above passage is part of the introduction to the book _You Mean I'm No Lazy, Stupid of Crazy? : The Classic Self-Help Book for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder _by Kate Kelly and Peggy Ramundo. I decided to spend the time actually typing that out for a couple of reasons. First off, when I originally came up with the theory that Zack Martin may have ADD, my plan was to skim through a couple of books I own on the subject and look for a few quotes I could use to back-up what I was suggesting. When I read that intro ( despite having read it many times before ) I was momentarily speechless. I had to literally put the book down and take a moment to let what I had read sink in - those words practically screamed Zack Martin! This meant that perhaps this theory of mine was more then just another random, hair-brained idea that I am known to have from time to time. These thoughts were very encouraging to me and fuelled the fascinating , enthralling couple of days that followed, in which I re-watched bits and pieces of pretty much every SL episode, chatted to a couple of people asking for opinions and references and read hundreds of pages from various books on ADD.

Also, despite being diagnosed with ADD when I was a young child, for the longest time I never really grasped what that exactly meant. I walked around with a " I have ADD, so what" kind of attitude. It wasn't until I was 15 years-old and received that book for my birthday that the reality of it all hit me. When I finally picked it up ( months after my receiving it) and actually began to read it, I was stunned. Beyond stunned. This book literally describes my life. There are more highlighted sections in my copy then not ( over time I began to highlight anything that pertained to me and how I felt ) and I even discovered that there were several things I did that I had no idea were related to this disorder. That was the first time I could legitimately say with confidence that I did indeed have ADD, and it was a huge moment for me . It was what pushed me towards the continuous adventure called my life, full of self discoveries and realizations about the world around me. It taught me that my ADD is an explanation, not an excuse and is even possibly a gift. This book is one of my most prized possessions and has HUGELY impacted me. After I read that passage this time around - keeping Zack in mind, instead of myself - I can honestly say that I could picture him in his late 20s or early 30s reading that intro ( and eventually the majority of the book) and having an epiphany much like my own - basically " Holy Shit, that's my life!" I like to flirt with the idea that it would impact him as much as it has impacted me. * Smiles*

Before we even dig further into this and examine actual symptoms of ADD, I would like you to just to take a look at this intro again - more specifically the sixteen statements that are italicized. How many times have we heard Moseby complain about Zack fooling around, being irresponsible or driving him crazy? How many times has Cody or Carey complained about Zack's mess or pointed out that he should be getting better grades then he does? How many times has Carey, Moseby or Tutweiller suggested that he act more like his brother? The answers to all these questions is countless. In fact, if I was a betting person, I would bet my car ( which to be totally honest is not really that great of a wager because it's pretty much a piece of shit) that Zack is told some sort of variation of at least one of those statements ( or if they are not directly said to him then they are heavily implied) in every single episode!

The three primary symptoms of ADD are Impulsivity, Inattention/Distractibility and Restlessness/ Hyperactively. Interestingly, these symptoms don't all have to be present in order for you to have ADD. And if you do have one or more of them, they may not be present all the time. ( Dummies 31)

People who are impulsive often act without considering the consequences of their actions. This can includes being frivolous with money. They will often buy things they never planned on buying /has no practical use just because they "have to have it" and are notorious for not being able to save money. ( Dummies 35) In **Broke " N" Yo-Yo **Zack not only maxes out his own cash card but also his brother's. He spent his money trying to impress multiple girls and on things with little use such as a robot caddie. In **Neither a borrower nor a speller bee **he encourages Cody to drop out of the spelling bee because he owes his competitor $30. And in **Moseby's Big Brother **we are given the impression that while Cody saved his money given to them by their father, Zack did not. But money problems is not the only clue that someone might be seemingly unaware of the consequences of their actions. Many of Zack's actions suggest he might be that " someone". In **Sleepover Suite **he plays ball in London's suite where many expensive items are kept and also kisses two girls at the same party. He loses his pet rat in **Hotel Inspector**, causing Moseby to lose his job, he sneaks into a wedding in **Grounded on the 23****rd**** Floor **to take a picture of the "$20,000 kiss" and in **Team Tipton **he admits to using a set of bagpipes as a water gun. In **Smart & Smarterter **he pretends to have dyslexia just to get extra time on his tests. The list goes on and on.

Because people with ADD often crave stimulus they may engage in more high risk behaviours. ( Dummies 35). Zack has definitely done some things that I would classify as " high risk". At the very beginning of **Boo You **he is moments away from bungee jumping off of the ship and it takes both Cody and Kirby to stop him. And even then, it doesn't appear like he won't someday attempt to do it again. In **Birdman of Boston **he boasts about climbing up ten floors in a laundry shoot and in **Spy Who Shoved Me **he appears to be eager to help "J-Dog" complete his mission. Because engaging in high risk behaviour is directly linked to acting without considering the consequences of ones actions, this section could also go on and on.

Being impatient is another factor of impulsivity. Many ADDers find it extremely hard to wait in line or to drive the speed limit. ( Dummies 35) In **Mom and Dad on Deck **we learn that Zack enjoys driving fast. We also know from **Cody Goes to Math Camp **that he aspires to be a race car driver. Another sign of Zack impatience is evident in **My Oh Maya** and **Das Boots **when he confesses that Cody's six-month plan is " killing" him and that he is eager to get with on it and start dating/ kissing Maya.

Saying inappropriate things can also be contributed to being impulsive. Because SL is a Disney show, the writers are technically not allowed to write the characters saying inappropriate things, but do so anyways. And many of those things are said by Zack. In **Model Behaviour** he jokes that Jessica " rang Cody's bell" while in **Sleepover Suite** he says he is going to go and find a snorkel so he can keep London in the bathtub.

Linked to saying inappropriate things is blurting out the first thing that comes to mind and jumping to conclusions. ( Dummies 34) In **Das Boots **he automatically assumes that Maya is talking about Henry You the clarinet player when she tells him " I like you". In **Team Tipton **he assumes that Entomology is a religion. Again, because impulsivity seems to be the primary symptom of ADD that Zack predominantly expresses, this list can go on forever.

Being easily distracted and spacing out are two common side affects being inattentive. ( Dummies 33) In **International Dateline **Zack is seen playing with his pencil. This action - plus assumingly many pervious actions- cause Tutweiller to call him the "lowest denominator." He then appears to " snap out it" and blurts out " Whoa, this is math! I thought it was Geography." This scene practically screams " LOOK AT ME! I HAVE ADD!"

A lot of people with ADD are rather forgetful and may even forget things that are a regular part of their lives. ( Dummies 33). In **My Oh Maya **Zack seems to have forgotten the date of his mother's birthday and it is a running gag that Zack forgets when homework is due or what days tests are. Because ADDers can be forgetful, they are also notorious for being late. In **Ala - Ka- scram! **not only is he late for his date, he also forgets her name.

Making careless mistakes is also common in people who are easily distracted. ( Dummies 34) Although this might be because he is just a bad speller, in **Crossing Jordan **Zack asks Marcus if the reason he believes Cody did not leave him a fruit basket is because words on the card were spelt wrong. It is possible, that he is fully aware of that fact that he tends to make mistakes and wants to cover his tracks. I am sure there are others things to prove this point, but I can't think of them at the moment.

Hyperactivity is a hard thing to prove in a character on a tv show, especially when it not written as a character trait. If Zack were a real person, we might see him bouncing on the balls of his feet or nervously tapping on tables or his legs. Although there is a chance he does do this occasionally, I can't seem to pick it up. ( Again, I didn't watch every single part of every single episode so I could be missing parts) I do know that he does seem to always be on the go and dislikes being in the same spot all the time. Plus many ADDers may express there restlessness by talking non-stop and going on and on about seemingly unimportant things, even when the person they are talking to is no longer paying attention or the conversation has moved onto a different subject. In **Orchestra**, he performs a mini ramble about the benefits of raising alpacas over llamas. In **Ship-notized ** the rant that he goes on when he " loses" Olivia is what I would call a classic ADD ramble. Again, this was one of those scenes that screamed Zack has this disorder

Beside the three primary symptoms there are what experts call secondary symptoms. These include- but are not limited to- boredom, low self-esteem and frustration.

For many people with ADD boredom is a part of their daily life. They can not stand things that happen repeatedly, and for children and teenagers this predominately is associated with school. In fact it is not uncommon for ADDers to fall asleep in class because they are not mentally stimulated or because they are just burnt out form always being on the go. ( Dummies 38) Both in **Orchestra** and **A Nugget in History **we actually see Zack sleeping on class. In **Parrot Island **the reason he is late for Tutweiller's class is because he had just woken up from a nap, despite the fact that they had apparently just come from biology.

Years of not measuring up to others' and your own expectations and experiencing failures at home and at school, constantly feeling as if you are below your siblings or peers often leads to low self-esteem. ( Dummies 39) Although at times it appears that Zack is - for the most part - full of confidence, it's likely that he is just very good at hiding his insecurities ( something ADDers are also very good at doing) . But, in the times he does lets people in, we do see that he feels overshadowed by his overachieving, neurotic younger brother. In fact this feeling of " being a second banana" is the theme of the episode **Goin' Bananas.**

Again, because Zack is not the touchy feely type, we don't really know much about his feelings. But I feel confident that if you had an honest one on one with him you would discover that he often feels anxious, hopeless and frustrated - mainly due to the perceived shortcomings in this life.

Besides primary and secondary symptoms there is something I like to call " others". Basically these are character/ personality traits that are common among ADDers mainly because they can be directly linked to those primary and secondary symptoms.

Creativity is once of those common characteristics of people with ADD ( Dummies 281) and Zack does have a creative streak to him. Even in earlier episodes of SL we are shown this side of him. In **Footloser**, Cody claims that Zack is better then him at everything important, including playing the guitar. Also in this episode it's shown that he's a fairly good dancer. Zack himself points out that he does indeed play the electric guitar in **Orchestra **and we actually see him play in **Band in Boston**. He is even given one for " graduating" the eighth grade in **Graduation**. Also , a guitar and keyboard seem to be always present in his cabin on the ship, further suggesting that he does play from time to time. He is also shown singing in **Crossing Jordan**. Beside being musically talented, he also apparently enjoys doing art . This is emphasized in **Kidney of the Sea **when he draws Violet a picture, in **Sleepover Suite **when he claims he is better at drawing fighter planes then bathtubs and in **Kitchen Casanova **when he takes an art class and seems to take genuine pride in his painting of a fruit basket. He even seems to be disappointed when London ruins it. As well, several pieces of artwork can be seen hanging on Carey's fridge at the Tipton. And judging by what the pictures are about ( one looks like it might be a super hero/villain) I think it's safe to assume that Zack drew them. And, of course, how can we forget that he created the entire storyline of **Starship Tipton **as an excuse for not doing his homework?

Combine high energy with the desire for stimulation and you have a great mix for someone to get involved in athletics. Many people with ADD enjoy physical activity and tend to get involved in sports and spend a lot time pursuing them. ( Dummies 286) It is common knowledge that Zack plays basketball and is seen doing so in several episodes, including: **Kisses & Basketballs**, **Back in the Game**, **Benchwarmers** and **Roomies**. In fact basketball seems have such an impact on his character that a scene showing the twins playing the game is incorporated in the montage at the beginning of both season 1 and 2 of SLOD. Besides basketball it appears that Zack at least knows the basic skills needed to play football as shown in **Any Given Fantasy**. And in **Risk it All **he is the one who does all the physical challenges on the games show and appears to do fairly well at them. Also throughout SLOZAC the twins are shown participating in various physical activities including bike riding and skateboarding. In the Synopsis for the upcoming episode **Computer Date **it states that London and Woody seek out Zack's help when they find out they are failing Phsy. Ed - further suggesting that Zack is good at things which involve being physical active ( get your mind out of the gutter. I will talk about _that _kind of physical activity later )

" People laugh when the truth is exaggerated, twisted or expanded to the level of absurdity. An ADDer who doesn't inhibit the flow of his thoughts can dream up outrageously funny things to say - things that others wouldn't dare to utter! If he can learn to monitor himself sufficiently to keep from stepping over the line into offensiveness, he can contribute a sparkling sense of humour. " ( Lazy 54) Zack is known for his witty, sarcastic and borderline inappropriate retorts and sense of humour . In fact, his one liners are a major contributor in making the show as funny as it is ( at least in my opinion). A recent example of this is in **So You Think You Can Date **when Zack tells Cody he is becoming the sister he never wanted.

Many ADDers have multiple fascinations, addictions or obsessions. Their insatiability feels much like an intense craving, often leading to the development of habitual problems. This can cause ADDers to make unhealthy decisions or do something they normally wouldn't do just to fuel their addition. In fact many experts predict that the majority of people in Anonymous groups have ADD ( Lazy 44 and 45 ). There are several good books written on the subject of ADD and addictive behaviour including Wendy Richardson's _When Too Much Isn't Enough _- which I highly recommend. Zack's obsession with Maddie is evident throughout SLOZAC ( and in part of SLOD) to the point where he calls her " his women" in **Team Tipton**, states his biggest ambition is to marry her in **It's a mad, mad, mad hotel **and confesses that he always knew she would be his princess and he her knight in shining armour in **Maddie on Deck**. He dramatically changes his behaviour/ engages in activities he otherwise wouldn't to impress her (Wearing cologne and cleaning himself in both **Team Tipton **and **Maddie on Deck**, baby-sits in **Day Care **) In **Health and Fitness **his addiction to sugar - mostly in the form of chocolate - promotes him to hide treats in books and sewing kits and sneak out into the kitchens in the middle of the night to eat chocolate dipped in gravy and lick ice cream off the floor. In **Kidney of the Sea **it is mentioned that he has a chewing gum habit. This is interesting to note because many people with AD/HD can't stay 100% still and need to perform some sort of a mindless task in order to relieve feelings of uneasiness . Chewing gum is an example of this that is commonly practiced. In **Tiptonline **Zack is shown to have an addiction to Mid-Evil Magic Quest and even attends a 12 step program at the end of the episode. Of course we are all aware of his addiction to girls - but that's it own section.

Sexuality, of course, is a common arena for impulsive behaviour ( Lazy 235). Despite never actually given any proof ( due to the target age group of the show) many people in the SL fandom- myself included- believe that Zack is no longer a virgin. Although we cannot prove whether or not he has had sex, we do know that he has kissed a lot of girls and seems to thoroughly enjoy it. In fact, besides Maddie and Maya, I don't believe any of the girls Zack has dated/ chased/ flirted with have appeared in more then one episode - suggesting that he goes through girls quite quickly. In **My Oh Maya **he even confesses to Maya that he is what you might consider a player and he doesn't even deny that he has the personal philosophy that " girls are like socks, if you lose one you can borrow one from someone else." Of course if you are a bit promiscuous it also means you most likely have commitment issues. Zack himself states in **Mulch Ado About Nothing **that the only thing he can commit to is a cell phone plan.

Many people with ADD are quite intelligent and clever. But because they think and learn different then what might be considered the norm, they are often perceived as stupid or are deemed to have " street smarts" but not " book smarts". ( Dummies 231) We have often seen moments in which Zack does or says something that proves he is smart, despite getting poor grades in school. In fact, in **Clocks and Contracts**, Carey proudly admits that despite contrary belief Zack can be quite sharp. Of course - in true ADD fashion- he seemingly discredits this by wrapping his gum around his head and calling himself a " Gummy Mummy". Also in **Clocks and Contracts **and in **Aptitude**, Zack clearly demonstrates that when it comes to using numbers in real world situations, Math is something he does have a fairly stable grasp on . He even says that if they would have put dollars signs in Math Textbooks he would have done his homework ages ago. In **A Nugget in History**, Zack actually gets an A+ on an essay and even expands to margins so he can cram in more the required amount of information. This is because he did is essay on a topic that he genuinely had an interest in and was taught by a person ( Grandma Moseby) who was far more engaging and knowledgeable then his history teacher. Of course, we are all aware of the fact that it takes a fair amount of intelligence to create all the schemes and pull off all the pranks that Zack is notorious for.

Many children with ADD are very good at manipulating people, tend to bend the truth, are experts at finding loopholes and tend to take advantage of people in order to avoid things that make them uncomfortable or seem boring. ( Dummies 210 and 211) In one particular SLOZAC episode ( the name of this episode escapes me at the moment, which royally pisses me off. If you know the name, please let me know so I can add it) he tricks Cody into finishing his Geography homework by knowingly saying the wrong answers, causing his brother to automatically respond with the right one. In **French 101 **he tricks Cody into insulting Jolene. In **Tale of Two Houses **he tells Abby that he owns an apartment, while in **My Oh Maya **he brags to his date that he will soon be going on a mission to blow up an asteroid. In **Beauty and the Fleeced **he creates a fake beauty pageant just to pick up girls. In **Smart & Smarterer **he convinced the guidance councilor and his mother that he was dyslexic. In **Sink or Swim **he blatantly takes advantage of Arwin's naivety and kindness in order to get out of doing any dirty work. There are way to many episode to reference where he takes advantage of Cody or somehow convinces him join in his hair-brained ideas.

As a group, ADDers tend to be disorganized. ( Lazy 261) In **Odd Couples **Zack's messy side of the room becomes so overwhelming for Cody that he actually temporarily moves into the coat closet. In **Double Crossed **Alex Russo repeatedly comments on his messy room.

There are many more things I could add to the " others" category such as questioning authority, sticking up for what they believe in and often antagonize the people closest to them. But I think you get the point.

The last two things I want to briefly mention are excess use of profanity and a higher risk of substance abuse. ( Substance abuse is so readily common among ADDers that Jeff Strong and Michael O. Flanagan consider it a secondary symptom. But because it is not directly linked to the show I decided to mention it here instead of where I mentioned all the other secondary symptoms ( Dummies 40). ) The subject of Zack using profanity has been brought up in forum discussions and several of my own PM. I personally think that whenever he thought he could get away with it, Zack would swear. In fact, if you pay attention, you are more likely to find a story where Zack slips up and swears then you are to find ones where other characters such as Cody and Bailey do. It fits with the whole impulsive / blurting out inappropriate things theory I talked about earlier. In **Mom and Dad on Deck **it's implied that he flipped Cody off. As for the drinking/ drugs, I don't know, but if Zack was a real person I could totally see him being a social drinker/ smoker and have tried pot at least once. But these are both just speculations on my part.

So, in conclusion, based on all this evidence I - despite not technically being qualified to make such an assumption and having little information on his childhood and family history ( two things that a vitally important in terms of making a diagnosis)- can honestly say that I firmly believe Zackary Martin has undiagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder.

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**I know that there are several references and symptoms/ traits that I have missed. But I also decided that if I didn't quit now, I might never quit! So, if there is anything you think of which you like to point out to me , by all means go ahead. **

**And I must say that I am very impressed with myself. I have not put this much effort or had this much enthusiasm for a project in a long long time. **

**Of course, reviews would be greatly appreciated. **


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